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Courage for the road: Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass
Coming into 2020, Greensky Bluegrass was looking forward to celebrating its 20th anniversary. A relentless national touring act, it would…
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This must be the place: Things change but you don’t realize you have all you need
About halfway through the first set of the sold-out Goose drive-in show last Saturday, a friend turned to me and…
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Tillis should refuse to confirm High Court nominee
By Terri Henry • Guest Columnist | When President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth…
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Holding a family together
They say when a mom dies a family can fall apart. I’d heard this before, in movies and in real…
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Vice President’s words don’t match his actions
By Larry Bryson • Guest Columnist | Vice President Mike Pence has stated, “I am a Christian, conservative, and Republican, in that…
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Herd immunity would be deadly
To the Editor: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage throughout the U.S. as people continue to contract the illness, require…
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Forney a great choice for school board
To the Editor: I support the candidacy of Tausha Forney for a position on the Haywood County Board of Education.…
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Vote for Jones in 118th District
To the Editor: As a Waynesville resident, I’m a bystander in the NC House District 118 race, and it’s a…
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Encouraged by Democratic vandalism
To the Editor: As a conservative, it is encouraging to see the unprecedented vandalism of campaign signs in the county.…
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Stealing political signs is illegal
To the Editor: Here’s a message to the “concerned Republicans of Haywood County” who have paid for the “Law and…
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A champion of our mountain way of life
To the Editor: How do we decide whom to vote for? As a recent letter to the Smoky Mountain News…
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WCU to host modified Open House
Western Carolina University will pop up the tents for prospective students and their families and friends as the university holds…
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Eager voters flock to Haywood polls
Early voting began across North Carolina on Oct. 15, and since then, large numbers of voters have descended on their…
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Businesses adapt to survive pandemic
Despite the setbacks and challenges the COVID-19 Pandemic brought about in March, a surprising number of businesses in different industries…
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Haywood businesses become COVID-resilient
By Boyd Allsbrook • Contributing writer | When the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns hit Haywood County in March, business owners braced for…
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Jackson businesses find their place in the post-pandemic world
Lured by the promise of drivable, socially distanced adventure, visitors from across the region have flocked to Jackson County in…
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Macon merchants adapt during pandemic to stay open
During the initial pandemic panic back in March, many merchants in Macon County closed up shop while they tried to…
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Swain businesses survive, thrive during pandemic
Swain County’s economy relies heavily on the tourism industry from outdoor recreation businesses to downtown retailers, restaurants and the railroad.
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Cherokee businesses feel pandemic impact
With the economic powerhouse that is Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort surfacing as one of the pandemic era’s most-impacted local businesses,…
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Haywood property revaluation to be presented Nov. 2
After more than a year of work, Haywood County’s property revaluation process is nearly complete and will be presented during…
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Vandalism, campaign sign thefts show deep division in Haywood
As the tumultuous 2020 election season draws to a close, partisans on both sides of the aisle are expressing anger…
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School systems seeing more COVID-19 cases, clusters
Since public school systems have returned to in-person instruction, more COVID-19 cases are being reported in Western North Carolina.
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Fierce campaign divides Mark Meadows’ old district
Those who hadn’t learned through backchannels a day or two beforehand found out early on a cold mountain morning late…
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Swain commission incumbents face challengers
Two Republicans and two Democrats are vying for two open seats on the Swain County Board of Commissioners this year.
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Wallace, Young seek open seat on Macon commission
After being the top vote-getters during the primary election, Democrat Betty Cloer Wallace and Republican Josh Young are seeking the…
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Jackson approves $4 million for animal shelter project
Jackson County commissioners voted 4-1 Oct. 20 to approve a $4.33 million contract to build a new animal rescue center…
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Kamala Harris to visit Asheville after COVID cancellation
Less than a week after cancelling travel to Asheville and Charlotte, Democratic vice presidential nominee and California Sen. Kamala Harris…
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Order wreaths for deceased veterans by Nov. 15
Wreath laying on the graves of veterans buried at Greenhill Cemetery in Waynesville will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday,…
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Body of lost hiker recovered in Shining Rock Wilderness
At approximately 3 p.m. Tuesday search teams located the body of missing hiker Chad Seger. He was found in an…
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COVID-19 cluster identified at Franklin church
Macon County Public Health has identified a COVID-19 cluster of positive cases in an area church located in Franklin.
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Waynesville hires new assistant manager
Town Manager Robert Hites announced that he has appointed Jesse D. Fowler as Waynesville’s Assistant Town Manager. Fowler is currently…
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WCU to waive undergrad application fee
Western Carolina University is among the institutions of higher education that will be participating in “North Carolina Countdown to College,”…
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Macon volleyball game attendees could have been exposed
Macon County Public Health has identified possible exposure to COVID-19 among those who attended a volleyball game at Franklin High…
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Haywood schools rolls out COVID-19 dashboard
Haywood County Schools Administration announced the creation of the COVID-19 dashboard, intended to keep the public up to date on…
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Grants available for Dillsboro businesses
The Town of Dillsboro is launching a grant program to help struggling businesses using $200,000 it received as part of…
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Harris staff tests positive for COVID-19
Statement by Biden for President Campaign Manager Jen O'Malley Dillon:
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Separating news and facts from opinions
A message came back to me from an advertiser via one of our ad reps. He said we needed to…
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Socialist America has done pretty well
To the Editor: Recent letters have railed against a Democratic plan to make America into a “socialist country.” History shows…
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Do you really want Biden?
To the Editor: On a full-page ad in the October 7 edition of The Smoky Mountain News, Joe Biden supporters…
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I will be voting for Cal Cunningham
To the Editor: I received several campaign ads for Thom Tillis over the past several weeks. The ads say “I’ve…
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With Biden, we’re headed for a Black Hole
To the Editor: Recently we have read about the discovery of the universe black hole by astronomers. The United States…
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How the GOP will steal the election
To the Editor: If you’re a Republican planning to steal the election, here’s how you do it.
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Vote for indoor pool for Jackson County
To the Editor: As a Jackson County resident, I am excited to vote for the indoor pool at the Jackson…
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Kephart’s writings compiled in new book
Several years of research, compilation and collaboration by two writers from Western Carolina University have resulted in a scholarly book…
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Haywood water among state’s cleanest
Haywood County water treatment plants received top honors among the 55 plants honored statewide with the N.C. Area Wide Optimization…
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National parks visitation explodes in WNC
For Western North Carolinians who see the outdoors as a safe haven when life gets hard, perhaps the most distressing…
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Two new lifeguard instructors certified in Waynesville
Two lifeguards at the Waynesville Recreation Center have been officially certified as American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructors.
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Clay shooting tourney raises money for the Smokies
Friends of the Smokies raised $53,000 to support the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the second annual Smokies Cup,…
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Vegetable Beef Soup at the 828 Market
By Carrie Griffin We opened 828 Market 15 months ago. We’ve really enjoyed making soups for the market. We’ve just…
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Good reads: romance, cupcakes, and the Constitution
So why would a guy approaching 70 select for review a “Contemporary Romance” about the owner of a cupcake and…
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